From Taxonomy to Emerging Infectious Diseases: Towards Holistic Approaches for the Conservation of Wild Snakes in Italy

Korte beschrijving

Global biodiversity is declining and reptiles, including Squamata, Testudines, Crocodylia and Rhynchocephalia, are no exception. Reptiles face multiple, interacting pressures (i.e., habitat loss and fragmentation, land-use change, climate shifts, persecution and trade) while their secretive habits often lead to sparse data and underestimation of risk. Snakes, in particular, are difficult to detect and frequently viewed negatively by the public, which hampers monitoring and conservation. In Mediterranean landscapes such as Italy, challenges include fine-scale habitat fragmentation and the emergence of wildlife pathogens that can depress vulnerable populations. Robust baselines, harmonised identification tools and comparable health data are therefore essential to guide management. In this context, this thesis integrates taxonomy, genetics, ecological modelling, and monitoring of ophidiomycosis caused by Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo) to support evidence-based conservation of wild snakes from Italy.